Even my wife watched Duleep Trophy for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Kris Srikkanth

There was a moment during the IPL when it was hard to miss who the crowd had come to see. Children appeared with the name Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on their lips and on the back of their T-shirts. Older fans also enjoyed seeing the 15-year-old in action. It didn’t matter that he played alongside some of the biggest names in the game. There was a curiosity around Vaibhav that made people want to see him with their own eyes.

This curiosity has now followed him into domestic cricket.

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth offered a glimpse of Vaibhav’s appeal on his YouTube show when he revealed that he and his wife sat down to watch the teenager in the Duleep Trophy semi-final between East Zone and Central Zone earlier this week.

“We all sat and watched the Duleep Trophy now, didn’t we? That’s his draw,” Srikkanth said.

“Most of us tuned in when he was batting. Even my wife watched the Duleep Trophy match.”

VAIBHAV PULLS

It was not an international match. It wasn’t the IPL. The Duleep Trophy does not usually attract this much attention from the wider cricket audience. But Vaibhav gives people a reason to tune in.

In the semi-final against Central Zone, he smashed 92 off 81 balls, with seven sixes and seven fours. He fell short of another century but his innings helped the East Zone win. He followed it up with 42 in the second innings as East Zone chased down 159 to reach the final for the first time in 14 years.

THE NERVOUS NINETEES?

However, Srikkanth has a small grouse with Vaibhav’s habit of not reaching three figures.

“Hey, you missed out on a century again. But look how he bats,” he said. “It was great to watch him in the semi-final. Why do people even doubt whether he is capable of playing cricket at a higher level? He is playing very well.”

Vaibhav’s habit of getting out in the 90s became something of a running joke. He had three scores of 93, 97 and 96 in the 90s in the IPL this season before adding another 92 in the Duleep Trophy semi-final.

“Why da Vaibhav? He comes out in the 90s more than me,” joked Srikkanth. “He had to miss five centuries from the IPL this season.

Srikkanth believes it is Vaibhav’s attacking approach that sets him apart.

“He smashes the medium pacers over their heads. He hit seven sixes in the first innings,” he said. “Once he settles down and proves his case, he will be playing cricket at a different level.

There was more to Vaibhav’s Duleep Trophy campaign than his batting. He also took charge as the captain of the East Zone after Ishan Kishan left the field during the semi-final, which even surprised Srikkanth.

“I was a bit skeptical when he took over as captain,” he admitted. “But the East Zone went to the finals.

BUILT FOR MORE

Srikkanth believes that the teenager needs to be handled with care as his career progresses.

“He is playing excellent cricket. He should be encouraged. If they mold him well, he will be a superstar,” he said.

This attention has followed Vaibhav since his breakthrough IPL season. He made his India debut in July and then hit two half-centuries against Zimbabwe. Since then, the buzz surrounding the teenager has only grown. Hundreds may have eluded him, but his runs, fearless strokeplay and willingness to take on experienced bowlers kept him in the limelight.

And now, the move that was first seen in the IPL has reached domestic cricket. People sit to watch the Duleep Trophy match as Vaibhav is batting.

Srikkanth believes interest could eventually spread to the longest format as well.

“He will bring back the Test cricket madness,” he said. “He will be a great asset to world cricket.”

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

05 Sep 2026 11:54 IST